Minor Colic In The Heat

My new mare has now had 2 colciky episodes during the hottest days of summer. I suspect it’s caused by dehydration even though she has fresh water and gets electrolytes in her feed.

Any suggestions on how to get more water into her to prevent this? Her grain is soaked before feeding to help with her water intake.

When my horse was living alone this year, he wasn’t big on drinking. I was making his grain a wet slop to get more water into him because I was paranoid about colic. When I got him a companion, suddenly he became the world’s thirstiest horse. I think because the water trough became a shared resource and he had to make sure he got his fill? I went from filling trough maybe once a week to every second day.

No no idea what your mare’s living situation is, but if she’s alone maybe finding a buddy would change her attitude? It is so frustrating when they have a beautiful clean trough and won’t drink out of it - to the detriment of their health!

Add loose salt to feed;
offer flavored water with options such as Gatorade, handful of sweet feed, chunks of watermelon, fruit juice;
ensure horse has mineral lick;
soak hay, and some horses like the water that the hay has been soaked in;
do not hesitate to have vet out to tube fluids and electrolytes;
monitor hydration level with skin pinch test and checking moistness of gums;
be sure there are at least two sources of water: buckets/trough/automatic waterer;
check for any stray electricity that may prevent horse from drinking, as from electric fence.

i’m sure others will add more ideas.

1 Like

She lives outside with my 2 geldings :slight_smile:

She gets loose electrolytes in her feed but not loose salt. I can add that. She does have access to a mineral lick and a himalayan salt lick. I have tried to get her to drink flavored water (gatorade and equi-tea) but she wasn’t interested. She doesn’t know signs of dehydration through skin pinch or capillary refills. We don’t have any electricity near the water. I can add another trough for them.

Soaked alfalfa cubes or soaked chopped hay typically work. Does she like to drink from a hose? Watermelon has a lot of water in it as well.

Make sure there is nothing funky with the water, a smell, or different taste, especially if its well water. Some horses are funny about that kinda stuff.

You can add a few apple slices to water and let her bob for apples.

Purina hydration hay https://www.tractorsupply.com/tsc/product/purina-hydration-hay-horse-hay-block-pack-of-6-12-lb

Lots of places sell it.